In 1996, Binti Jua, an 8-year-old female Western lowland gorilla, tended to a 3-year-old boy who had fallen into her enclosure at the Brookfield Zoo in Illinois

In 1996, Binti Jua, an 8-year-old female Western lowland gorilla, tended to a 3-year-old boy who had fallen into her enclosure at the Brookfield Zoo in Illinois.

On August 16, 1996, Binti Jua, who was eight years old at the time, witnessed a three-year-old boy climbing the wall around the gorilla exhibit. The boy fell 24 feet (7.3 m) into the gorilla enclosure below, sustaining a broken hand and a large gash on the side of his face.

Despite the screams of onlookers, Binti walked towards the unconscious boy. She cradled him and gently laid him down upon hearing her shift door open to her downstairs enclosure. Throughout the incident, her 17-month-old baby, Koola, clung to her back. The boy spent four days in the hospital and made a full recovery.

Binti gained international media attention as a result of this incident. Following the event, she received special treats and food from zoo personnel, as well as significant attention from visitors for many months.

At the age of 35, Binti Jua is still alive today. She has since become a grandmother to three granddaughters and a great-grandson.